Talk:Dissertation
To start a new discussion topic just click on the + sign above. Add the new subject (question) and answer it in the body (if you have an answer or want to make a comment. It is good practice in this case to add your name in parenthesis so that we know who asked the question. If you want to reply or simply to any question or edit your comments, click on 'edit' above (for the whole page) or on the 'edit' next to the question (for that question only). You'll get the hang of it. Remember that you can edit your comments (and those of others) at any time. It is also good practice to sign in so that you know who has been making changes. 1. What is a 'research question' (RQ) and why is it so important? (David) After selecting your dissertation topic, the RQ is the most important part of your dissertation in terms of getting started, and then guiding your progress throughout researching and writing the dissertation. You can think of it as the 'engine' that drives the dissertation - it determines the type of literature you will review, the type of data you will analyse, the introduction that you write, and the conclusion that you reach. It is the reason you write the dissertation - to find out the answer to this question. The RQ takes you on a journey - that journey is the dissertation! When you start, you should not know the final destination. OK, over to you guys! 2. Using some SA452 lecture readings as a 'jumping off' point for the dissertation (David) Something that I would strongly advise is to use one of the core course lectures as a 'jumping off' point for your dissertation idea. The lectures are designed to provide an overview of the main key themes in social policy and development, so should help provide the context and conceptual framework into which your dissertation topic and question will fit. Each lecture will also provide some basic readings on your topic that will help you to get your literature review started. (David) add more thoughts ... 3. Other new discussion topics (please add/edit as needed) These might, for example, include questions such as - 'Help, I can't think of a good dissertation topic!' or 'I can't understand one of the points in the Dissertation handout notes we were given!' or 'I'm still confused about what a 10,000 word dissertation really involves!' (from Bushra ...) Helloo everyone...I am sure you are all excited about the end of term but before that we have an exam (though nothing to worry as it is only MOCK, but as I have reluctantly started preparing for it, I am actually finding it a v useful way of revising all that we have studies in the last ten weeks!!) After receiving David's advice (which was v useful and thanks for that), I intend to attempt the exam by immediately engaging with the exact question, hopefully in a very focused way. Though, I have a few more questions about the methodology of attempting the exam and I sure David and ofcourse you all would be happy to answer/comment:- 1. Is it always important to define the core concepts emanating from the question (e.g. difference btw theory & practice) If so, can we come up with our own definitions or is it important to quote certain authors? from David: from your reading is best ... then you can comment from your own ideas on these defs. 2. While answering a question, are we advised to keep referring to the readings? Personally, I always like to give my own views about whatever is being discussed and do not enjoy reproducing whatever was there in the reading...its kind of restricting!! from David: Yes, the readings are what you should use as the building blocks of your answer. If it was just your opinions, then what woul dbe the value of doing the course, and being exposed to new material? But your views on the readings are very much valued by us. 3. This question is not related to the exam but a conceptual clarification, what is the difference btw social integration and social protection and what possible indicators can be used to measure them? from David: social integration is a broad objective for social policy; social protection is a term given to types of policies designed to protect vulnerable people from the ups and downs of the market or attempts to reform institutions ... P.S:-By the way, I am still waiting for a response to my previous question on foreign aid!!! from David: ok, where is it? Dear all, It feels good to be communicating with you all through this wiki. The question that I would like to pose to you all is not necessarily linked with my dissertation but with my upcoming presentation on foreign aid, early next week. I strongly believe that all individuals, societies and countries in the world should strive for self reliance be it in terms of economic growth, human or social sector development, political stability and democratization. Although, most of the foreign aid by international Donors largely revolves around these central objectives, it does not have an inherent design to gradually minimize the dependencies of the aid receipent countries and make them self sufficient. I am not sure if it is part of the international politics or a planning defecit? Food for thought... Regards, Bushra add your thoughts ... 4. Other new discussion topics (please add/edit your preference) What is the difference between an "Academic paper" and a "White paper"? While I was doing my final essay for the Rural Development I found that the DFID says that they published in 1997: "The White Paper on International Development" Should I care more about certain types of papers? Are there different types of papers? How many and what are the difference between these? Thanks Jesus 5. Dissertation topic & RQ This is a good place to explore possible topics and research questions. Getting a topic is not difficult, but formulating a RQ is a bit more tricky. For example, if you are interested in the topic of participatory forest management in India, a suitable research question might be: "What factors have contributed to the rise of participatory forest management and with what results for poor people?" This would allow you to explore (a) general literature on the history of FM, (b) review literature on different views on the concept of participation, and © to look specifically at one more successful and one less successful case study on PFM in India, analyse the cases in relation to impacts on local communities, and then draw conclusions. more ... 6. Revising for the SA452 exam: Some advice (please ignore this until March 2009! We will give you detailed advice about preparing for the exams next term - in the meantime, for those of you who are already thinking about this, here are a few tips: 1. Revise all your lecture/seminar notes for SA452 - you will need to know the basic general content of all topics. (This is important because material from one lecture can also be relevant when responding to other lecture topics - you should not separate topics off from each other too much). 2. Having said that, you should then choose a much smaller number of particular topics for detailed revision - to specialise for you exam answers (I'd say say 5 or 6 of these is a good number, you can never predict exactly which topics will come up). Those you presented on in seminars would be good ones to include. 3. It is a good idea to practice writing some timed mock exam essays at home - use an alarm clock to get a sense of what one hour feels like when you write. Practice writing an exam answer from a past paper on one or two of your chosen topics. This will also gradually help you speed up your handwriting skills. If you want, I will take a look if you bring practice essays to office hour. 4. Remember that SA452 has a compulsory question 1 on general social policy ideas and concepts - so make sure you know lectures 1-3 particularly well. (OK, you can ignore this for now ...!) What is the difference between an "Academic paper" and a "White paper"? While I was doing my final essay for the Rural Development I found that the DFID says that they published in 1997: "The White Paper on International Development" Should I care more about certain types of papers? Are there different types of papers? How many and what are the difference between these? Thanks Jesus David Interesting question ... a White Paper is a UK government policy document, and is a form of what academics often call 'grey literature' (as opposed to research literature). Other forms of 'grey lit' include evaluation reports, World Bank country reports, field reports by NGOs, etc etc. Grey literature is useful to researchers because it may be (a) up to more date than published academic research, and (b) may be very relevant to policy; but it has some important disadvantages too - it may be self-serving rather than 'objective', and it is unlikely to be peer-reviewed the way academic papers are. A good dissertation recognises and uses these different kinds of literatures to get the best from them. Grey lit is a good source of case study material and recent data.